Moving into a nursing home is likely to be a huge adjustment for your loved one, but maintaining a positive attitude and providing lots of reassurance can really help them to settle in quickly.
Here are a few useful tips that can really help them adjust to their new home:
Personalise their new bedroom
It’s important to bring at least a few personal items that are recognisable and familiar to make their new bedroom feel comfortable, reassuring and like home.
Family photographs, pictures for the wall, favourite ornaments or a familiar clock, blanket or bedspread can all provide reassurance and an important sense of continuity.
Help us get to know your loved one
You will have a wealth of knowledge about your loved one’s likes, preferences and past experiences that our carers will want to find out. The more information you can pass on, the more it will help the staff to get to know him or her as an individual and settle him/her in to feel properly at home.
Before moving in, make a note of a few pieces of key information that you can share with staff immediately to help them make your loved one feel relaxed and at home. These could include such things as-
any nickname your loved one likes to be called,
important routines for them, such as the times they like to go to bed at night and get up in the morning, when they like to have a shower/bath,
any drinks and foods they particularly like or don’t like.
Sharing this kind of personal information means your loved one is more likely to respond positively to staff and come to trust them quickly and easily.
You can also create a short life story to share with staff about your loved one. This could be done through photos, writing or video, and is an effective way to help staff members really get to know them and spark a conversation or two!
Encourage participation in activities
Encouraging your loved one to join in with some of the activities going on is a great way to help them socialise and make friends, as well as providing important stimulation for the mind. If you think they might be nervous or reluctant, keep providing positive words of encouragement.
Stay positive!
Often the transition to a nursing home is harder for the family members watching it than it is for the person experiencing it. While you continue to worry constantly whether your loved one is settled and doing ok, he/she may well have already adjusted and feel right at home.
Keeping in regular contact with the staff is always helpful. We appreciate the chance to help, so voice any concerns you may have, big or small, to give us a chance to know how best to help and support you.
Westerleigh Nursing Home is a long established family run care home in Seaford, East Sussex, offering residential, nursing and respite care of the highest quality. Give us a ring on 01323 892335 to find out how we could help you.
